In what has become known as the story of the “Good Samaritan,” one of Jesus’ most famous teachings found in the gospel of Luke 10:25-37, Jesus instructs his followers in the ways of sacrificial service, loving one’s neighbor, and caring for others who may not be able to care for themselves. The story in brief goes like this: a lawyer questions Jesus on the way to eternal life. In response, Jesus gives a parable about a Samaritan man who tends to the physical needs of a victim of an assaulted robbery. The Samaritan and victim couldn’t have been more different. Ethnic, cultural, and religious barriers should have made the two men mortal enemies. But seeing the victim’s need, the Samaritan had compassion on him and served the man, even paying for his medical expenses with his own money. However, before the Samaritan man’s arrival, two other passersby refused to help the beaten man, and turned a blind eye to his apparent needs. It’s a sad truth that still exists today. Many people, aware of the desperate needs of others, refuse to serve out of their own justification. Such is not the way of Jesus. The point of the story? Jesus’ answer to finding eternal life is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself” (see chapter 10, verse 27). The “Golden Rule” as this is called then, is not so much about “loving others as you would love yourself”, but rather “loving others as you love God”. So how can Christians continue to show love to both neighbor and enemy the way Jesus taught? Well if you are a young adult in Fort Wayne, you can join a community of twenty-something’s committed to being the literal hands and feet of Jesus by serving the marginalized and tangibly meeting the needs of some of the most culturally neglected people groups in our city. Unlike the two other travelers who refused to help the man in need, this young adult generation in Fort Wayne has resolved to put their faith into action and care for our poor and disenfranchised. Parker Crosby, a dynamic young leader and actuary by trade, has organized a Good Samaritan effort for local college students to serve the community on their spring break. For many young people at our area universities, spring break means a carefree week away from school. In an attempt to redeem that time off and create meaningful partnerships among young adult ministries, Parker has put together a week of...

“Human beings in a mob What’s a mob to a king? What’s a king to a god? What’s a god to a non-believer? Who don’t believe in anything? We make it out alive All right, all right No church in the wild” Lyrics from the song “No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z and Kayne West No strangers to the pseudo-spiritual genre of rap, hip-hops top tag-team has come out with another new hit that mirrors language of both the streets and the church. While many find the message of the song offensive to people of faith, the lyrics are undeniably provocative, intentionally controversial, and unfortunately, a pretty accurate assumption of the church in larger mainstream Christianity. But does it have to be this way? In Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, as recorded in the book of John, chapter 17, Jesus asks the Father in Heaven, not to “take them out of the world” (see verse 15), but rather emphasizes that the disciples are not of the world, have been set apart in truth, and indeed sent back into the world with the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel message of Jesus Christ (see 17:15-18, and chapter 20:21-23). This concept of neither rejecting, nor receiving, but instead redeeming the cultures of the world, or as Jay-Z and Kayne state, the “wild”, is at the heart of the mission of the church…to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). So how does the church do that? Where many would rightfully refuse to compromise beliefs, the pendulum is often pushed too far, and the spirit of condemnation takes focus, rather than the Spirit of Christ. Recently the training ministry One Life did a workshop on the topic of young adults, discipleship, mission and living a committed faith in a chaotic world. The event was hosted by Gerald Coleman, the young adult pastor at Fellowship Missionary Church and leader of Emerge. The event was far more than informative; it truly was transformational for those involved. We discussed practical applications for being in the world, but not of it and showing love to a city and culture that needs the complete message of Jesus, full of both grace and truth. Thankfully Jesus is building his church, heaven is invading earth, and the Kingdom of God is taking authority in the city of Fort Wayne. Churches, campus ministries, and new young adult groups are popping up in response to the work the Holy Spirit is doing. Gerald’s group Emerge at Fellowship Missionary Church is one such ministry. The Gate, a new young adult ministry gathering at Pathway Community Church is another. This Sunday, March 1st...

“I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God’s creational intentions.” ― John Wesley, from How to Pray: The Best of John Wesley on Prayer John Wesley, William Carey, Hudson Taylor, Grace Wilder and Lottie Moon: five young men and women, in their mid-twenties, whom God used to start the fires of revival within their respective generation. The legacies of these missionary heroes, of one hundred years ago, burn within the hearts of a new generation seeking revival in our own age. Fort Wayne, known as “the city of churches” currently has several university campuses, dozens of hipster coffee shops, and numerous Christian churches, that are filled with young adults, young professionals, and young families who are not asking the question of whether or not faith is real. Instead, the spiritual question of the day is “does faith work?” Those whom sociologist call “millennials”, or those born between the years of 1982-2002 roughly speaking, represent the largest generation ever to live in American history. Some statisticians say we number close to 80 million! But this is a generation that is incredibly optimistic, seeks an adventure in life, and has a growing interest in the supernatural. If you resonate with the kind of faith I’m describing here; a faith that works, takes risks, expects to see miracles, and is radical enough to desire complete obedience in order to see our city transformed by the power of the Gospel, then I’d encourage you to come check out the Gate. The Gate is Fort Wayne’s new young adult ministry gathering. At the Gate we will seek God’s face in an extended time of worship, reflect on his Word with a practical and relevant teaching, and activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a time of prayer ministry. The name “the Gate” is a prophetic reference to John 10:9, and signifies an entry point to a “full life” in Jesus. We exist to equip college students, and twenty-something’s in the following four ways: * Encounter God in prayer and worship * Experience Authentic Community * Engage Your World on Mission * Enter a Full Life in Jesus We are launching our new ministry this Sunday evening, February 15th, from 6 -8:00pm and will meet at Pathway Community Church, located at 11910 Shearwater Run Fort Wayne, IN 46845. Connect with us online and get updates: Twitter @TheGate_FW Instagram @TheGate_FW Facebook ...